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Hochman: Gays in sports deserve approval

Would a gay player be accepted in the NBA? "I think the teammates would accept it but wouldn't like it," says Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, whose parents are gay. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Your favorite athlete is gay.

You're getting mad.

Or maybe you're saying, "Wait, is he?"

Or maybe you don't care.

But it's pretty much understood that a certain percentage of our population is gay, but since zero percent of current MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL athletes have come out of the closet, it's safe to assume that some of your favorite players are indeed gay men but afraid to say so.

Many Americans are homophobic. Maybe you are. Maybe you're unwavering with your thoughts about gays in society. But let me say this: You surely have a favorite player. You have his jersey. You obsess over his highlights. You're unwaveringly devoted to this player.

Let's say he announces that he's gay. You loved the guy yesterday. Well, he's the same guy today. Same guy. So it seems, you've been loving a gay athlete all along. So shouldn't you still love him today? He's the same player.

And so, if a player came out, this could alter how you look at society — when your favorite strong, confident superstar says that he's, in fact, a strong, confident superstar who, in the privacy of his own home, kisses a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend.

"Him coming out of the closet, more people would accept that and respect that," Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said when asked about this hypothetical scenario. "Some people would still dislike it, but it would be a positive step moving forward. But we're a long way from that right now."

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Faried's parents are gay. He was raised primarily by two women whose bond became legal in a 2007 civil union in New Jersey. Faried recently filmed a video for the group One Colorado, supporting civil unions in our state.

"It gives people, gays and lesbians, the right to make decisions on their own," Faried says in the video, which can be found at www.one-colorado.org/kenneth-faried. "... Nobody can ever tell me I can't have two mothers, because I really do."

So I asked Faried, what would the atmosphere be like if an NBA player announced he was gay?

"I think the teammates would accept it but wouldn't like it," he said. "I think some people would be tentative on the court, because basketball is a physical sport, with all the touching and stuff, and people would feel awkward more than accept it. ... It would be tough. ... Fans would be outlandish and say crazy things and write crazy things on signs, being disrespectful to the athlete because he is gay — which is so negative and wrong, but it's how life is."

There is no question that a pro sports locker room isn't exactly a free-thinking, contemporary think tank. But these guys, because of who they are, have incredible influence on society.

Imagine the influence a star athlete could have if he said he's gay, and then said, "Forget you, if you think that's a problem." The athlete you respect the most, the athlete who is your favorite to watch, the athlete who is your favorite role model for your children. Someone like LeBron James or Peyton Manning or Tim Tebow.

In the years leading up to Jackie Robinson playing Major League Baseball, and throughout his career, there was huge resistance within the sport to an African-American playing in the majors. Others wondered that if, by the time their grandchildren grew up, attitudes would change. And they did. Things are different.

In 2013, some people, some athletes themselves, feel gays have no place in team sports. You might be one who thinks that.

But I'll tell you this: By the time your grandchildren grow up, things will be different.